Munster Squad News

For those Munster players who were not involved in the summer tour to South Africa, the season has already begun with the first training sessions already completed.

For those Munster players who were not involved in the summer tour to South Africa, the season has already begun with the first training sessions already completed.

The newcomers to the Munster squad include out-half Paul Burke, centre James Storey and tight-head prop Mike Storey. Munster supporters will be familiar with Irish international Paul Burke who arrives from NEC Harlequins having helped that side to the Parker Pen Challenge Cup title.

The other two, the unrelated Storeys come from different hemispheres, James from Neath Swansea Ospreys where he has played for the past season and t]rior to that he was with neath and Mike hails from Whangarei on the north island of New Zealand.

Mike Storey spent almost a season in England playing with Saracens but returned to new Zealand where he damaged an Achilles tendon, an injury that prevented him joining Munster as he had intended at the start of last season.

Out of the Munster squad from last year are Dominic Crotty (retired) who is shortly due to leave for America, Killian Keane who had retired from the Munster scene last season but was pressed into action at the start of the season, Jeremy Staunton moved to Harlequins, Jason Jones-Hughes and Simon Kerr have both retired while Eddie Halvey, Colm McMahon, Martin Cahill and Donal Sheehan have all moved out of the professional scene.

Players who have accepted development contracts include, Barry Murphy Keith Matthews, Brian Touhy, Frank Murphy, Maretin McPhail, Eugene McGovern, Ross Callaghan Tom Hayes and Denis Fogarty. Fogarty (Cork Con), the younger brother of former Munster squad member John, now with Connacht, was a member of the Ireland U21 side that reached the World Cup Final this season.

His Cork Con teammates on that U21 side, Shane O Connor, Tomas O Leary have not been offered development contracts because they have opted to remain in the Irish Academy and to complete their studies. The same applies to wing Richie Lane while full-back Andy Finn is going into year one at the Academy.